What Is An Online Divorce And Should I Pursue One?
In some cases, pursuing an online divorce might be preferable. Imagine, for instance, that you go on a bender and wake up next to someone whose face you don’t recognize. They assure you that you married them the night before. In such a situation, an online divorce might make sense. You don’t have a lot of issues to work out. There are no children; there is no marital property; there’s no need for spousal support. Hence, you stand to lose nothing by botching the divorce process. In fact, online divorce would be ideal for that situation.
What do online divorce services provide?
That depends on the online divorce provider you pursue. However, the bare minimum of divorce representation is generally what you can safely assume the website offering online divorce services will provide. Essentially, these sites provide you with the proper forms for your state and tell you where to file them. These forms contain checkboxes that make it easier for couples to identify issues related to their divorce. But no form can anticipate all the nuances in a given divorce settlement.
While online divorce services may be cheaper, you are generally responsible for paying filing fees, ensuring you meet deadlines, and ensuring your forms are properly filled out. The forms only address issues that are common in divorces. Any nuance whatsoever can render the forms a very imprecise tool for negotiating a settlement.
Potential benefits of an online divorce
If your divorce is really as uncomplicated as a crazy one-night stand, then there’s no need for much more than filing paperwork. Other divorces are similarly uncomplicated. Marriages that lasted for less than 6 months may be a good candidate for online divorce.
Divorces need to address three situations. Firstly, they must address the breaking up of the marital estate. Couples who have only been together a short period of time may not have a marital estate or at least they won’t have a marital estate worth stressing over. Without children, that’s an entire aspect of the divorce that can be disregarded. Finally, there would be spousal support. In a short marriage, spousal support is unlikely to be granted unless the spouse needed the support to continue their lifestyle. In most cases, a 6-month marriage wouldn’t change their material circumstances enough to warrant spousal support.
So, when you’re dealing with a very short marriage, pursuing the cheapest possible divorce may be your best option. When you’re dealing with complex issues related to property division, spousal support, child support, or custody, then you probably want a lawyer to handle the negotiations as the outcome can be life-altering.
Talk to a Pennsylvania Divorce Attorney Today
Lauren H. Kane helps Pennsylvania residents dissolve their marriages and move on with their lives. Call a Philadelphia divorce lawyer at our office today to schedule an appointment and we can discuss your goals in further detail.
